A platoon control system includes a platoon control in communication with a plurality of individual platoon vehicle controls associated with respective platoon vehicles of a platoon of vehicles traveling along a road. Responsive to a lane change instruction wirelessly communicated by the platoon control, the individual platoon vehicle control of a last platoon vehicle controls the last platoon vehicle to maneuver the last platoon vehicle from an initial traffic lane to another traffic lane. After maneuvering the last platoon vehicle to enter the other traffic lane, the individual platoon vehicle control of the last platoon vehicle controls the last platoon vehicle to allow the individual platoon vehicle controls of the other platoon vehicles to maneuver the other platoon vehicles to enter the other traffic lane ahead of the last platoon vehicle.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A platoon control system for controlling a plurality of vehicles traveling together as a platoon of vehicles, the platoon control system comprising: a platoon control in wireless communication with a plurality of individual platoon vehicle controls; wherein the individual platoon vehicle controls are disposed at respective platoon vehicles of a platoon of vehicles traveling along a road; wherein the platoon vehicles of the platoon of vehicles, while traveling along an initial traffic lane of the road, are arranged as (i) a lead platoon vehicle, (ii) at least one middle platoon vehicle following the lead platoon vehicle and (ii) a last platoon vehicle following the at least one middle platoon vehicle; wherein the individual platoon vehicle controls are operable to control the respective platoon vehicles to maneuver the respective platoon vehicles as the platoon of vehicles travel along the road; wherein the platoon control wirelessly communicates a lane change instruction to the individual platoon vehicle controls of the respective platoon vehicles; wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction, and responsive to determination, via at least one sensor of the last platoon vehicle, that there is not another vehicle present at the last platoon vehicle in another traffic lane immediately adjacent to the initial traffic lane, the individual platoon vehicle control of the last platoon vehicle controls the last platoon vehicle to maneuver the last platoon vehicle to enter the other traffic lane; wherein, after maneuvering the last platoon vehicle to enter the other traffic lane, the individual platoon vehicle control of the last platoon vehicle controls the last platoon vehicle to allow the individual platoon vehicle controls of the at least one middle platoon vehicle and the lead platoon vehicle to maneuver the at least one middle platoon vehicle and the lead platoon vehicle to enter the other traffic lane ahead of the last platoon vehicle; wherein the platoon control wirelessly communicates the lane change instruction responsive to determination of a vehicle in the initial traffic lane ahead of the platoon of vehicles; and wherein the determination of the vehicle in the initial traffic lane ahead of the platoon of vehicles is responsive to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a sensing system of the lead platoon vehicle and (ii) a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system.
2. The platoon control system of claim 1 , wherein the determination of the vehicle in the initial traffic lane ahead of the platoon of vehicles is made by the platoon control.
3. The platoon control system of claim 1 , wherein the determination of the vehicle in the initial traffic lane ahead of the platoon of vehicles is made by the individual platoon vehicle control of the lead platoon vehicle.
4. The platoon control system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication comprise a cloud-telematics communication.
5. The platoon control system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction from the platoon control, the individual platoon vehicle controls control the respective platoon vehicles so that the platoon vehicles enter the other traffic lane in order from the last platoon vehicle to the lead platoon vehicle.
6. The platoon control system of claim 5 , wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction from the platoon control, the individual platoon vehicle controls control speeds of the respective platoon vehicles to decelerate together to allow traffic in the other traffic lane that is ahead of the last platoon vehicle after the last platoon vehicle has entered the other traffic lane to pass the platoon vehicles.
7. The platoon control system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction from the platoon control, the individual platoon vehicle controls control the respective platoon vehicles so that, after the last platoon vehicle enters the other traffic lane, the at least one middle platoon vehicle and the lead platoon vehicle enter the other traffic lane ahead of the last platoon vehicle in a predetermined controlled manner.
8. The platoon control system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction from the platoon control, the individual platoon vehicle controls control the respective platoon vehicles to maneuver the platoon vehicles from the initial traffic lane traveled by the platoon of vehicles to the other traffic lane in a manner that limits other vehicles from interrupting the platoon of vehicles.
9. The platoon control system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction from the platoon control, the individual platoon vehicle controls control the respective platoon vehicles so that the platoon vehicles enter the other traffic lane in a different order than they were in the initial traffic lane.
10. The platoon control system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one middle platoon vehicle comprises (i) a first middle platoon vehicle following the lead platoon vehicle when the platoon of vehicles is traveling in the initial traffic lane, (ii) a second middle platoon vehicle following the first middle platoon vehicle when the platoon of vehicles is traveling in the initial traffic lane and (iii) a third middle platoon vehicle following the second middle platoon vehicle when the platoon of vehicles is traveling in the initial traffic lane.
11. The platoon control system of claim 10 , wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction from the platoon control, the individual platoon vehicle controls control the respective platoon vehicles so that one or more of the middle platoon vehicles enter the other traffic lane ahead of the last platoon vehicle, whereby speeds of the respective platoon vehicles are controlled to generate gaps between the platoon vehicles that have entered the other traffic lane and to align the platoon vehicles that are in the initial traffic lane with the gaps, and wherein, when the platoon vehicles in the initial traffic lane are aligned with the gaps, the individual platoon vehicle controls of the respective platoon vehicles in the initial traffic lane control those platoon vehicles to enter the other traffic lane in the gaps.
12. The platoon control system of claim 11 , wherein the individual platoon vehicle controls adjust the speeds of the respective platoon vehicles to allow traffic in the other traffic lane ahead of the last platoon vehicle after the last platoon vehicle has entered the other traffic lane to pass the platoon vehicles and to align the platoon vehicles in the initial traffic lane with respective gaps between the platoon vehicles that have entered the other traffic lane.
13. The platoon control system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction from the platoon control, the individual platoon vehicle controls control the respective platoon vehicles to maneuver the platoon vehicles to enter the other traffic lane responsive to determination of clearance in the other traffic lane as determined by at least one sensor of the respective platoon vehicles.
14. The platoon control system of claim 1 , wherein each of the individual platoon vehicle controls control (i) an accelerator of the respective platoon vehicle, (ii) steering of the respective platoon vehicle, (iii) a brake system of the respective platoon vehicle and (iv) a turn signal indicator of the respective platoon vehicle.
15. The platoon control system of claim 1 , wherein the platoon control is disposed at one of the platoon vehicles.
16. The platoon control system of claim 1 , wherein the platoon control comprises one of the individual platoon vehicle controls.
17. A platoon control system for controlling a plurality of vehicles traveling together as a platoon of vehicles, the platoon control system comprising: a platoon control in wireless communication with a plurality of individual platoon vehicle controls; wherein the individual platoon vehicle controls are disposed at respective platoon vehicles of a platoon of vehicles traveling along a road; wherein the platoon vehicles of the platoon of vehicles, while traveling along an initial traffic lane of the road, are arranged as (i) a lead platoon vehicle, (ii) at least one middle platoon vehicle following the lead platoon vehicle and (iii) a last platoon vehicle following the at least one middle platoon vehicle; wherein at least one sensor is disposed at each platoon vehicle of the platoon of vehicles for sensing traffic traveling in another traffic lane immediately adjacent to the initial traffic lane; wherein the individual platoon vehicle controls are operable to control the respective platoon vehicles to maneuver the respective platoon vehicles as the platoon of vehicles travel along the road; wherein, responsive to determination of a vehicle in the initial traffic lane ahead of the platoon of vehicles, the platoon control wirelessly communicates a lane change instruction to the individual platoon vehicle controls of the respective platoon vehicles; wherein the determination of the vehicle in the initial traffic lane ahead of the platoon of vehicles is responsive to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a sensing system of the lead platoon vehicle and (ii) a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system; wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction, and responsive to determination, via the at least one sensor of the last platoon vehicle, that there is not another vehicle present in the other traffic lane at the last platoon vehicle, the individual platoon vehicle control of the last platoon vehicle controls the last platoon vehicle to maneuver the last platoon vehicle to enter the other traffic lane; and wherein, after maneuvering the last platoon vehicle to enter the other traffic lane, the individual platoon vehicle control of the last platoon vehicle controls the last platoon vehicle to allow the individual platoon vehicle controls of the at least one middle platoon vehicle and the lead platoon vehicle to maneuver the at least one middle platoon vehicle and the lead platoon vehicle to enter the other traffic lane ahead of the last platoon vehicle.
18. The platoon control system of claim 17 , wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction from the platoon control, the individual platoon vehicle controls control the respective platoon vehicles so that the platoon vehicles enter the other traffic lane in order from the last platoon vehicle to the lead platoon vehicle.
19. The platoon control system of claim 18 , wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction from the platoon control, the individual platoon vehicle controls control speeds of the respective platoon vehicles to decelerate together to allow traffic in the other traffic lane that is ahead of the last platoon vehicle after the last platoon vehicle has entered the other traffic lane to pass the platoon vehicles.
20. The platoon control system of claim 17 , wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction from the platoon control, the individual platoon vehicle controls control the respective platoon vehicles to maneuver the platoon vehicles to enter the other traffic lane responsive to determination of clearance in the other traffic lane as determined by the at least one sensor of the respective platoon vehicles.
21. The platoon control system of claim 17 , wherein the platoon control is disposed at one of the platoon vehicles.
22. The platoon control system of claim 17 , wherein the platoon control comprises one of the individual platoon vehicle controls.
23. A platoon control system for controlling a plurality of vehicles traveling together as a platoon of vehicles, the platoon control system comprising: a platoon control in wireless communication with a plurality of individual platoon vehicle controls; wherein the individual platoon vehicle controls are disposed at respective platoon vehicles of a platoon of vehicles traveling along a road; wherein the platoon vehicles of the platoon of vehicles, while traveling along an initial traffic lane of the road, are arranged as (i) a lead platoon vehicle, (ii) a first middle platoon vehicle following the lead platoon vehicle, (iii) a second middle platoon vehicle following the first middle platoon vehicle, (iv) a third middle platoon vehicle following the second middle platoon vehicle and (v) a last platoon vehicle following the third middle platoon vehicle; wherein at least one sensor is disposed at each platoon vehicle of the platoon of vehicles for sensing traffic traveling in another traffic lane immediately adjacent to the initial traffic lane; wherein the individual platoon vehicle controls are operable to control the respective platoon vehicles to maneuver the respective platoon vehicles as the platoon of vehicles travel along the road; wherein the platoon control wirelessly communicates a lane change instruction to the individual platoon vehicle controls of the respective platoon vehicles; wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction, and responsive to determination, via the at least one sensor disposed at the last platoon vehicle, that there is not another vehicle present in the other traffic lane at the last platoon vehicle, the individual platoon vehicle control of the last platoon vehicle controls the last platoon vehicle to maneuver the last platoon vehicle to enter the other traffic lane; wherein, after maneuvering the last platoon vehicle to enter the other traffic lane, the individual platoon vehicle control of the last platoon vehicle controls the last platoon vehicle to allow the individual platoon vehicle controls of the middle platoon vehicles and the lead platoon vehicle to maneuver the middle platoon vehicles and the lead platoon vehicle to enter the other traffic lane ahead of the last platoon vehicle; wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction from the platoon control, the individual platoon vehicle controls control the respective platoon vehicles to maneuver the platoon vehicles to enter the other traffic lane responsive to determination of clearance in the other traffic lane as determined by the at least one sensor of the respective platoon vehicle; wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction from the platoon control, the individual platoon vehicle controls control the respective platoon vehicles so that the platoon vehicles enter the other traffic lane in a different order than they were in the initial traffic lane; wherein the platoon control wirelessly communicates the lane change instruction responsive to determination of a vehicle in the initial traffic lane ahead of the platoon of vehicles; and wherein the determination of the vehicle in the initial traffic lane ahead of the platoon of vehicles is responsive to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a sensing system of the lead platoon vehicle and (ii) a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system.
24. The platoon control system of claim 23 , wherein, responsive to the lane change instruction from the platoon control, the individual platoon vehicle controls control the respective platoon vehicles so that one or more of the middle platoon vehicles enter the other traffic lane ahead of the last platoon vehicle, whereby speeds of the respective platoon vehicles are controlled to generate gaps between the platoon vehicles that have entered the other traffic lane and to align the platoon vehicles that are in the initial traffic lane with the gaps, and wherein, when the platoon vehicles in the initial traffic lane are aligned with the gaps, the individual platoon vehicle controls of the respective platoon vehicles in the initial traffic lane control those platoon vehicles to enter the other traffic lane in the gaps.
25. The platoon control system of claim 24 , wherein the individual platoon vehicle controls adjust the speeds of the respective platoon vehicles to allow traffic in the other traffic lane ahead of the last platoon vehicle after the last platoon vehicle has entered the other traffic lane to pass the platoon vehicles and to align the platoon vehicles in the initial traffic lane with respective gaps between the platoon vehicles that have entered the other traffic lane.
26. The platoon control system of claim 23 , wherein the platoon control is disposed at one of the platoon vehicles.
27. The platoon control system of claim 23 , wherein the platoon control comprises one of the individual platoon vehicle controls.
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April 6, 2020
January 11, 2022
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